Nelly Secundino, 10, is comforted by Shawmut Hills Principal Sara Melton when Nelly breaks down in tears while trying to read her letter to Santa.
By Jeffrey Cunningham|Mlive.com

Nelly Secundino’s eyes begin to well up as she reads the
letter she wrote to Santa this Christmas. “Dear Santa, My name is Nelly
Secundino,” … She stops and then after a few moments composes herself and
begins to read again. “This Christmas I am not asking you for toys, I am asking
you for help to save my Dad’s life,” she continues.

Nelly, 10, is a fifth-grader at Shawmut Hills Elementary
School in Grand Rapids. For the last couple of years, her father Isidro
Secundino, 39, has been fighting kidney disease and for the last nine months,
he has been in need of a kidney transplant to save his life. “The money that
you are going to waste on presents can instead be used to help save my dad,”
she reads.

Isidro and his wife Maria are undocumented immigrants who
don’t have health insurance.

The surgery has been scheduled for early next year and the Chicago
hospital has reportedly agreed to pay for the surgery itself. But the
out-of-pocket cost for the surgery and post-surgery medications and care total $69,000,
which the family doesn’t have and has to be raised before the surgery can occur.

So far a series of fundraisers and donations have reportedly raised
$13,000.

“Like many other children I dream of playing with my Dad.
Right now I am not able to play with him, nor am I able to give him a hug to
tell him how much I love him because he is not able to be at my side,” she says
in her letter.

Her dad has been living in a low-income apartment in Chicago since
April, near the hospital where the surgery is to take place. The family hasn’t
been able to visit since he moved, although they do talk almost daily on the
phone, Nelly said. According to Jodi Pyper, a deacon at Roosevelt Park
Community Christian Reformed Church, she and others at the church have been
working to help the Secundinos raise the funds. The Secundinos are members of
the church.

“Since I am asking you to help save his life, this is the only
present that I am asking from you. I hope that God will knock on the door to
your heart so that you can make this happen, and are able to give me this one
gift,” the letter continues.

When you are 10-years old, it is easy to start to believe that
Santa doesn’t exist, but Nelly is sure he does and can take the time and has
the power to answer this one request. “I know that tears won’t help, but I am
crying because not only do I need my father in my life, my brothers need him
too,” she said.

“So Santa this is all I am asking for this Christmas, to
please help save my dad, Sincerely Nelly Secundino,” she concludes.

Shawmut Hills Principal Sara Melton said she was surprised to
see that Nelly had written the letter as it wasn’t until the church sent out information
on the need for funds that Melton knew
of the letter. “She is such a great girl,” Melton said. Nelly said “my heart
made me write this letter.”